Phoenix debates use of 'squaw' in street names

Jul. 16, 2014
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Roadway signs of Squaw Peak Drive near Piestewa Peak in Phoenix on July 11, 2014. The peak itself was renamed Piestewa Peak in 2003, in honor of Lori Piestewa, a Native American and Arizonan woman who died in combat. / Patrick Breen, The Arizona Republic

by Dustin Gardiner, The Arizona Republic

by Dustin Gardiner, The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX - Every time Eddie Brown hikes his beloved Piestewa Peak, he passes by a street sign that still evokes troubling memories of the degrading way people spoke to his mother.

"Squaw Peak Drive," reads a sign at the head of the road leading to the gnarled mountain in east Phoenix.

Brown, the son of a white man and American Indian woman, said it reminds him of the people who called his late mother a "squaw" when he was a boy growing up in southern Arizona. She never protested the term, but he could tell she felt insulted, trivialized.

"It was a lesser reference," said Brown, executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. "Every time I go up there and I turn on that street, I'm perturbed. It just puzzles me."

State officials renamed the peak more than a decade ago at the urging of Native American advocates concerned about its negative connotations. It was dubbed Piestewa Peak in honor of Lori Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe and the first known American Indian woman to die in combat with the U.S. military. She was killed during the Iraq war in 2003.

Officials also renamed a nearby freeway, State Route 51, in honor of Piestewa.

But Phoenix city officials have taken no steps to rename the heavily traveled street or nearby Squaw Peak Circle.A spokeswoman said the city hasn't re-examined the issue because it hasn't received any formal requests.

The word "squaw," considered offensive to many Native Americans, has been interpreted to have several meanings. Some historians and advocates contend it originated from a word referring to the female anatomy. Others say the origin wasn't negative but the word took on a new meaning as white settlers used it in a pejorative sense.

National awareness of racial slurs used to refer to indigenous peoples has grown in recent years, particularly with fights over the name of the NFL's Washington Redskins and other sports teams.

Amanda Blackhorse, a member of the Navajo Nation in Arizona and plaintiff in the case against the Redskins, said Phoenix's failure to rename offensive streets is one more example of a cultural ignorance about slurs used toward Native Americans. She said the city needs to finish what was started with the renaming of the peak.

"I can't believe we still have names like this," Blackhorse said. "(Squaw is) the equivalent of calling someone a slut or a prostitute. It was basically used to degrade Native women."

An attempt to rename the streets is likely to illicit strong feelings on both sides of the issue. As was the case with renaming Piestewa Peak, some residents who live near the mountain or frequent the trail feel the street name carries a sense of history and oppose change.

Ignatius Loyola Wilkinson, who has lived on Squaw Peak Drive for several decades, said he fervently supports the name. To rename the two streets, a city policy requires 75 percent of the roughly 40 homeowners on the roads to agree to new titles.

"It's no insult to the Indians by any stretch of the imagination," Wilkinson said from his driveway in the peak's shadow. "I like it the way it is."

Dormant issue

After then-Gov. Janet Napolitano pushed for the state to rename the peak, the city renamed the Police Department's Squaw Peak Precinct to Mountain View.

It's unclear why officials didn't apply those same concerns to the nearby streets, although renaming city streets can be a more intensive public process.

"We had assumed that eventually all of this would be taken care of, but it has not," said ASU's Brown, who previously served as assistant secretary of Indian affairs in the U.S. Department of Interior. "As American Indians, we haven't been overly demanding on things, particularly in Arizona."

Phoenix leaders contacted by The Arizona Republic said they hadn't heard concerns about the street names but appear open to revisiting the subject. Mayor Greg Stanton unequivocally called for renaming the peak in an interview last week. He plans to meet with Native American leaders and neighbors in the coming months.

"As mayor, I want to send a message that we are supportive of everyone in our community," Stanton said. "It's time to make that change."

Councilman Sal DiCiccio, whose district encompasses the area, said although the name could obviously be offensive, some residents have had that street address for many years. He said any approach the city takes will "have to be well-thought through."

Growing voice

Native American advocates say opposition to slurs like "squaw" and "redskin" are part of a larger movement, particularly among younger leaders, to reclaim their identity. They said there's a need to push back against stereotypical depictions and offensive language.

However, not all Native Americans find the issue as pressing. Diane Enos, president of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona and the nearby Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, declined to comment. A spokeswoman said Enos is traveling and dealing with issues of more local concern.

Blackhorse, a social worker who started fighting the Redskins name as a college student in 2006, said Native advocates have grown more vocal on these issues because they realize they now have the political sway to reclaim how their community is portrayed.

"It's an identity issue," she said, adding that such language has a negative psychological impact on Native Americans. "It's not just a name. It's much more than that."

Strong feelings

Residents of Squaw Peak Drive and regular hikers have mixed feelings about renaming the street, which spans about a mile. While many said they support doing what makes Native American residents feel comfortable, others believe the peak's former name will continue to be widely used regardless.

John McGann, a Phoenix resident, scoffed at the idea of a name change last week as he applied sunscreen in preparation for a climb to the top of the rocky peak. As a lifelong Arizonan, he said he was irritated by what he considers an overly politically correct reaction to the mountain's historic name.

"It's a waste of time and probably money," McGann said. "I just think the whole issue has been given too much weight."

The nearby Squaw Peak Circle is smaller and located within the Biltmore Estates, a private gated community, so much of the debate is likely to focus on Squaw Peak Drive.

Several businesses in the area still use the name, among them is the upscale Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort. A spokeswoman for the hotel responded to questions about its name with a statement, saying, "The resort will continue to proudly embrace its heritage by offering guests the legendary service it has become noted for in the many years to come."

But Monica Orozco, who has owned a home on Squaw Peak Drive since 2003, said she's shocked the street name wasn't changed along with the peak years ago.

She said it's "disgusting" that the peak named after Lori Piestewa has no clearly visible signage paying tribute to the single mother of two and soldier.

"There's nothing that says Piestewa Peak to let the world know that her sacrifice wasn't in vain and it meant something," Orozco said.